Thursday, September 4, 2014

Ganes: Songs Sung in Ladin

Ganes is a music group that sings primarily in Ladin (German: Ladinisch), a language related to Swiss Romansh and mainly spoken in the Dolomite Mountains of Northern Italy, the South Tyrol, Trentino, and Belluno. It's the native language for about 30,000 people, and it's surprising that songs sung in such an obscure language have found a European audience.

Their music is a mix of folk, pop, and light rock. And though they do sing occasionally in English (Bang Bang Bun), it's their Ladin songs that have resonated with most people. And for the record: Ganes is family affair consisting of two sisters, Elisabeth and Marlene Schuen, and their cousin, Maria Moling.